About VCAC

Staff

Joy Pugh

Joy Pugh has been Director of Virginia College Advising Corps since May of 2012, growing the program from 13 college advisers to 36 in 2018-2019. Previously at the University of Virginia, Joy served as an Assistant Dean of Students in the Office of the Dean of Students/Residence Life, and prior to that, as Coordinator of the LGBT Center. She received her B.A. in Communication Studies from UNC Charlotte in 2001, then took a position as Director of Development for a small non-profit agency. In 2005 she received her M.Ed. in College Student Personnel Administration from James Madison University.

She currently serves as Board Secretary of Virginia College Access Network, and as Board Vice-President of LilyPads. She previously served as a member and Vice-President of the Piedmont Housing Alliance board. Joy is a native-born Virginian who grew up mostly in Elon, NC, and now happily makes a home in Charlottesville with her wife, Bizz, and dog, Chief Noobin. She enjoys running, hiking, and cycling, and is continuously inspired by the work of the college advisers.

Marguerite Guilford

Marguerite is originally from Raphine, VA, but ventured off to Montana for college, where she earned a B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of Montana. Upon graduation she began working for Coca-Cola and after two years transferred with them to Portland, OR. Her various roles with the company included: Lead Clerk for HR, Payroll, Accounts Payable, and Account Management in Sales. At the same time, Marguerite was obtaining her M.A. in Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling as well as a certificate in Trauma Response Services. She and her husband Peter relocated back to beautiful Virginia in 2014 and she has been with the Virginia College Advising Corps since 2015. She is very enthusiastic about helping the next generation have college access as well as saving for college since welcoming a twin boy and girl in December, 2016.

Osman Ali

Most recently Osman worked at Tulane University in the Center for Public Service as an AmeriCorps VISTA Leader and then a Senior Program Coordinator. In these roles, he provided support to a large cohort of AmeriCorps Members, coordinating and implementing their training, monitoring service performance, and managing various communication platforms including e-newsletters and social media.

Previous to New Orleans, Osman was a VISTA Leader with South Carolina Campus Compact at Winthrop University, and an AmeriCorps VISTA Member at the University of South Carolina Upstate. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Winthrop.

Valencia Harvey

Valencia Harvey is excited about furthering the mission of helping students find pathways to college. Prior to her role with VCAC, she served as an Area Coordinator in Housing and Residence Life at UVA. Valencia completed her Master of Education degree in Higher Education Administration & Student Personnel at Kent State University in 2015. She had an internship with the Kent State TRiO Upward Bound Classic Academy and this experience was formative for her career in college access and higher education. Originally from Dallas, Texas, Valencia was a first-generation, low-income, high school student with aspirations to attain what she did not see in her community. In 2013, Valencia received Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political Science and African American Studies from Purdue University.